Harmitach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Harmitach is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the county of Yorkshire in eastern England. Records show that most, if not all of the bearers of the surname can be traced back to a family living at Hermitage Bridge in Almondbury, near Huddersfield in the 13th century.

Early Origins of the Harmitach family

The surname Harmitach was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Kirkless, a hamlet, in the chapelry of Hartshead cum Clifton, parish of Dewsbury, wapentake of Morley. The hamlet was originally the site of a Cistercian nunnery, founded in the reign of Henry II and later passed to the Pilkingtons and later "to the Armytages, whose mansion formed part of the conventual buildings, till the time of James I., when the family erected Kirklees Hall, the present seat of Sir George Armytage, Bart." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Harmitach Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Harmitach family name include Armitage, Hermitage, Ermytache, Ermitage, Armitach, Hermitack, Armitack and many more.

Early Notables of the Harmitach family (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Timothy Armitage (died 1655), a pastor of the first independent church in the city of Norwich. The Armytage Baronetcy, of Kirklees in the County of York, was created on 15 December 1641... Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harmitach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Harmitach family to Ireland

Some of the Harmitach family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Harmitach family to the New World and Oceana

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Harmitach surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Godfrey Armitage of Lynn moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1639; and Eleazor in 1669 was living in Lynn, Massachusetts.

The Harmitach Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.